TRACK THE BUDDHISM INTO PHRAE PROVINCE

Abstract

In the land known as Jambudvīpa, over 2600 years ago, after the occurrence of the Buddha and Buddhism, the Lord Buddha and his disciples’ mission was the Buddhist propagation. Then, Buddhism was continually inherited, and finally was entered Thailand. After the 3^rd edification in B.E.234, the Buddhist ambassadors, divided into 9 lines by the patronage of King Ashoka the Great who was one of the famous Indian kings, were sent in order to spread Buddhism into different various countries. The Buddhist ambassadors, who were chosen by the king in order to go to Suvarnabhumi, was the Buddhist ambassadors of line 8. Buddhism had been being prospered by Phra Son Thera and Phra Uttar Thera, the Buddhist leaders of this line and after that it was spread into Phrae province. Therefore, more than 99.18% of Phrae people consider Buddhism to be their spiritual anchor (data from Phrae Provincial Statistical Office). The purpose of this article is to study the stories about Buddhism in Phrae province.